Classic Music For Punks

An Homage To Local Legend Christian Kidd

Catch this one while you can, because chances are, a show like this doesn’t come around too often.

On February 10 at The Church of St. John the Divine, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) premieres Legendary Love, taking its title from a groundbreaking, genre-crossing world-premiere commission by Dan Visconti, which honors local Houston punk rock legend Christian Kidd, lead singer of The Hates…the band that’s gone unsigned by a major label since 1978, but wildly popular nonetheless.

“This piece about Christian Kidd is very much a classical piece for orchestra, but it will incorporate some musical themes from The Hates, and will explore the relationships and love that surrounds and emanates from Christian – his being a fixture in the Houston landscape with his mohawk and scooter, an enduring legend of the local punk scene and an inspired, inspiring partner to his wife,” says composer Visconti.

The concert also features the premiere of new orchestrations of two song cycles by Mark Buller entitled “Nursery Rhymes” and “Tombstone Songs,” which were commissioned by ROCO. Set in the manner of English folk songs, “Nursery Rhymes” includes 19th-century texts from children’s stories and lullabies, some well-known and some a bit more obscure, while “Tombstone Songs” explores the dry wit and sardonic cynicism of epitaphs from tombstone inscriptions, delving into their dark humor with a hint of poignancy.

To round out the program, selections from Antonin Dvorák’s “Legends” pair with “Wood Notes” by William Grant Still, who was heavily influenced by Dvorák’s call to American composers to find their own unique voices.

WHEN: Saturday, Feb 10, 2018, 5:00pmWHERE: The Church of St. John the Divine2450 River Oaks Blvd., Houston, TX 77019MORE INFORMATION:www.roco.org